Fastening the covering of planes of flying machines to ribs or such like



Aug. 12 1924.

A. H. ca. FQKKER 4 FA TENIN THE VER F PLANES 0F FLYING MACHINES 'IO RIBS0R SUCH LIKE Filed Dec. 9, 1920 Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

ANTHONY HERMAN Z GERA RD ENT QFFICE.

FOKKER, OF r'hIVISTEB/DAM, NETHERLANDS.

' FASTENING- THE COVERING OF PLANES O1? FLYING MAOLEEINEE TO RIBS OH,fSUGI-I LIKE.

Application filed. December 9, 1920. Serial No. 429,557.

(GRANTED UNDER THE raovrsxons or THE ACT or MARCH 1921,41 smr. n, 1313.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY HERMAN GERARD FOKKER, residing at 84 Rokin,Ann sterdam, Netherlands, have invented. certain new and usefulImprovements in Fastening the Covering of Planes oflFlying Machines toRibs or Such Like (for which I have filed application inGermany,'January 29, 1918), of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved method offastening the covering of supporting or steering planes of flyingmachines to the rib or such like.

By the means here described and which form the subject of my invention,the said covering, which may be of linen, cotton or any other suitablematerial can be fastened to a rib or other suitably constructed memherover its entire length, by means of sewihg, in the form of a continuousrow of stitches, which may be as short as desired. Such a method hasmany advantages over the previously usual system of tying the coveringto the rib at intervals by means of thread or string passing rightaround the rib; by the great number of stitches possible the covering ismade to conform closely to the entire contour of the wing section, asdetermined by the shape of the rib, and the fastening is also greatlystrengthened; a considerable amount of thread is saved, especially inthe case of thick wings, and the whole process of fastening is muchfacilitated.

If it is desired for the sake of additional security, the well knownsystem of tying the covering to the ribs at intervals, by means ofthread or string passing around the rib, may be added to the method ofstitching the fabric to the wrapping material on the frame members.

The attached drawing represents in Figs.

1-6 for instance, four different methods of execution of the invention,of which Figs. 1-4 and Fig. 6 are cross sections through the edge of arib or other frame member.

Between the divided cap-strip or flange a and the web I) a strip ofcloth has been placed and glued and nailed together with the cap stripand the web. Underneath the strip of cloth 0 a cord d which may be ofany suitable material and possessing any desired profile, has beenplaced. The covering c (Fig. 2) is sewn to the strip of cloth 0 and thecord 03 by means of yarn or such like 7 along the rib or frame member asshown in Fig. 2.

The method of execution in accordance with Fig. 3 shows the edges of thestrips of cloth 0 provided with cords g which may already be woven intothe strips 0 during the manufacture of the latter or separately let inor attached to them. Instead of the cords g the ends of the strips ofcloth 0 may also be provided with re-inforced edges, or may be corded orbunched or such like.

By means of these reinforcing cords g the tearing out of the strips 0has been prevented and a better means of fastening between the parts ofthe rib ensured, which, at the same time, improves the firmness of thefastening of the covering and is efilected in a manner identical withthe method as shown in Fig. 2.

The method of execution in accordance with Fig. 4 shows a singlecap-strip, in which case the latter is glued and nailed to the rib b,after a strip of cloth a provided with reinforcing cords g has beenplaced between them.

The upper reinforcing cords g serve for being sewn on to the covering,while the reinforcing cords g of the lower edge offer a better securityagainst being torn out or loosened.

The reinforcing cords g of the strip of cloth may be made during theprocess of weaving in the shape of a reinforced woven edge or separatelyput in at the upper and lower edge of the strip of cloth.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a somewhat different method of execution, in whichone of the cap strips (a) is covered with cloth 0 or wound round withstrips of cloth, before being glued and nailed to the other parts of therib. Under this cloth a cord may be inserted, in a similar manner asshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but this is not entirely necessary, as thewing covering material may be sewed directly to the covering of thecap-strip, as described. While in the above some preferred forms ofconstruction have been described in which single or double cap-stripsare used, I would have it understood that the methods described may beapplied to frame members made up of any number of laminations, in whichcase a number of cloth strips may be used, as described, orany number ofthe laminations covered with cloth; furthermore I would have itunderstood that many more forms of construction may be devised withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention and Within the scope oi theappended claims: What I claim is: v

r I. In an arrangement of the character described, the combination oflongitudinally divided frame members, of fabric insertions between theparts of saidmembers, a covering, and means for securing the covering tothe insertion.

2. In a plane structure of the character described, in combinationlongitudinally divided frame members, fabricinsertions arranged betweenthe parts of said members, a covering, and stitches for securing thecovering to the insertions.

